New traffic signals for Middleton/Oak Island Dr. during bridge closure

New traffic signals for Middleton/Oak Island Dr. during bridge closure

From NCDOT: DOT has developed a plan for the intersection of Middleton and Oak Island Drive. We are planning to install protected left turn green arrows for all left turn movements at the intersection. These new signal heads would provide the opportunity for folks to make the left turn under protection of the green arrow unopposed from oncoming traffic. The new signal heads would also provide the flashing yellow arrow for folks to make their move if the left turn driver saw a sufficient gap in the oncoming traffic. These signal indications, green arrow and flashing yellow arrow, would of course be presented at different times during the signal cycle for any given signal head; one indication, green arrow or flashing yellow arrow, is typically followed immediately by the other. We are planning to get this installed prior to the bridge closure project (G.V. Barbee Bridge closure — see related press release from NCDOT here).

As part of these signal changes, we are planning to install right turn overlap movements for all of the right turns except the eastbound right turn from Oak Island Drive onto Middleton Blvd towards the beach. Right turn overlap means that when the left turn movement from a given leg of the intersection has a green arrow, then the right turn movement onto that same leg of the intersection also has a green arrow. This can be very helpful in moving traffic. The reason the eastbound right turn is an exception to getting the right turn overlap is because that right turn movement is combined with the eastbound through movement in the same travel lane, and so we cannot provide right turn overlap there as we need a designated right turn only lane for right turn overlap. All of the other directions have designated right turn lanes. The heaviest expected movements are the southbound left turn coming onto the island on Middleton and heading east back toward town and the right turn from westbound Oak Island Drive onto northbound Middleton heading off the island; the right turn overlap should work very well for these two movements since they will have the green arrow at the same time per the above discussion.